WELLINGTON Town Council has voted to increase the share it claims from residents’ council tax.

At a meeting on Monday night, councillors approved an increase of 40p a year, which equates to one per cent, which will be put in place for bills for the 2017/18 financial year.

The increase comes after the council last year voted to increase council tax by 46 per cent.

The change saw Band D properties’ bills increase from £27.40, to £40, for the council.

Councillor Andrew Govier said that he agreed with the 40p increase, but stated that residents might have liked to see a “smoother incline” in the amount they paid, instead of a 46 per cent increase followed by a one per cent increase the year after.

He said: “We have got to get smarter about where we are spending the money before we raise it again.”

Cllr Marcus Barr expressed concerns about the small amount.

He said if a £2 a year increase would be more acceptable, as the 40p increase is “not worth the effort”.